Toy road grader

ABSTRACT

A toy road grader having a grader blade mounted crosswise on the underside of the front portion of the grader body which is yieldably held in a raised position above the ground surface under spring tension and connected to an upright handle mounted on the body for rocker movement about a transverse axis whereby as the handle is swung forwardly it will lower the blade against said spring tension into engagement with the ground surface. The blade is pivoted on a vertical axis and is adjustable between different locked angular positions relative to the line of travel.

United States Patent Pfeilsticker et al.

[ 5] Nov. 28, 1972 [54] TOY ROAD GRADER [72] Inventors: Lee J. Pfeilsticker, Long Lake; Ronald R. Pauly, Mound, both of Minn.

[73] Assignee: Tonka Corporation, Minneapolis,

Minn.

[22] Filed: Feb. 25, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 229,296

[52] US. Cl ..46/40 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/30 [58] Field of Search ..46/39, 40, 41, 202; 172/781,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,031,751 2/1936 Watt et a]. 46/40 7/1969 Roberts ..172/781 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attomey-Carlsen, Carlsen & Sturm [57] ABSTRACT A toy road grader having a grader blade mounted crosswise on the underside of the front portion of the grader body which is yieldably held in a raised position above the ground surface under spring tension and connected to an upright handle mounted on the body for rocker movement about a transverse axis whereby as the handle is swung forwardly it will lower the blade against said spring tension into engagement with the ground surface. The blade is pivoted on a vertical axis and is adjustable between difi'erent locked angular positions relative to the line of travel.

5 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Good ..46/40 PATENTEDHuv 28 I972 SHEET 2 OF 2 TOY ROAD GRADER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns wheeled toy road graders such as have a grader blade adapted to project downwardly into the ground surface to move earth or sand as the grader is pushed over the surface. Such toys generally are provided with controls for moving the blade between raised and lowered positions and for turning the blade to different angular positions about a vertical axis.

However, when the blade is left in a lowered position and the toy is used on an indoor surface such as a carpet or hard surfaced floor, it will scrape along and cause damage to the surface. Moreover, it is desirable to provide a means for locking the blade at the desired angle of tilt relative to the line of travel so that it will retain the angle when the blade is operated to move earth or sand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a toy road grader having a grader blade which is yieldably retained in a raised position and can only be lowered and retained in an operative position when the control therefor is so held by the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy grader having ground wheels for movement of the grader along a line of travel and grader blade movable between raised and lowered positions and having a single control for moving the grader forwardly along said line of travel and moving the blade to its lowered position.

Still another object is to provide a toy road grader with an improved means for adjusting the grader blade about a vertical axis and locking it in the selected adjusted position.

With these and other objects in view the invention broadly comprises a toy road grader having a body mounted on ground wheels for movement along a line of travel and a grader blade mounted crosswise on the front portion of the body, a control for manually raising and lowering the blade, spring means connecting the control to the body to yieldably retain the blade in a raised position, and a second control for adjusting and locking the blade about a vertical axis at different angular positions relative to the line of travel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the toy road grader with the blade in raised crosswise position and with alternate angular positions of the blade and control therefor shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the grader with the blade raised and with the blade elevation control shown in its forward position in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section through the front portion of the grader taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and with the blade in a lowered position.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and looking downwardly with alternate angular positions of the blade shown in broken lines.

Referring now .more particularly to the drawings reference numerals will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. A toyroad grader is denoted generally by the number 10 and includes a power unit 11 mounted on ground wheels 12 and a front unit'14 pivoted to unit 11 for articulating movement as by a bolt assembly 15. Unit 14 has a front body portion 16 which arches forwardly with side walls 17 journaling a front axle 18 and being interconnected by a top wall 19. The axle 18 carries front ground wheels 20 which support body portion 16 in spaced relation over the ground surface G.

A blade support member 21 has its front end journaled on axle 18 and is provided with an opening 22 near the forward end thereof through which the body portion 16 extends for connection with the axle. A. transversely spaced pair of cars 24 are punched upwardly from the member 21 and jointly support a cross pin 25. Another cross pin 26 is mounted to extend between walls 17 of body portion 16 above the pin 25. Wall 19 has a pair of parallel fore and aft extending slots 27 provided therein. An inverted U-shaped control handle 28 has legs 29 extending through the slots 27 with their lower ends journaled on pin 26 and the upper ends-thereof connected by a cross member 30 adapted for manual gripping. Ears 31 project forwardly from the lower ends of legs 29 and are respectively pivoted as at 32 to the upper ends of rigid links 34, the lower ends of which are journaled on the cross pin 25.

A bracket 36 is mounted to extend between the walls 17. A pair of tension spiral springs 37 connect bracket 36 to the legs 29 above the cross pin 26 and yieldably retain control member 28 in a rearward position as shown in full lines in FIG. 2. It will be understood, however, that when control 28 is moved forwardly against the spring tension to the position shown in FIG. 3, the links 34 will be moved downwardly causing the blade support 21 to be lowered about its pivot on axle.l8.

A grader blade 40 is integrally secured to extend across the front of a mounting bracket 41 which includes a top plate 42 which ispivoted as by a rivet 44 to support 21 for movement of the blade and bracket about a vertical axis. The rear end of plate 42 terminates in a rearwardly opening fork 45. A blade control member 46 having a handle 47 is journaled in wall 19 and bracket 36 on the vertical axis of pivot 44. Member 46 has a leg 48 which extends forwardly and downwardly through the rearwardly opening notch in fork 45 and is yieldably urged downwardly by the encircling spring 49 held under compression between the fork 45 and a stop 50 near the lower end of leg 48.

The rear edge of support 21 has upstanding arcuate flange 51 formed thereon about the axis of pivot 44 and with upwardly opening notches 52 formed in the flange adapted to seat the leg 48. When the leg 48 is seated in the middle notch 52 the blade 40 will be perpendicular to the line of travel of the grader as shown in full lines in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. When it is desired to turn the blade 40 to one of the broken line positions the handle 47 is lifted against the force of spring 49 and turned about its vertical axis until leg 48 is seated in one of the side notches52 so that the blade is locked in an angular position.

It will be understood that the blade 40 is normally held in raised position above the ground surface, as in FIG. 2, under the tension of springs 37. When it is desired to use the grader blade it is first adjusted to the desired angle by control 47 and locked. The operator of the toy then pushes forwardly. on the control 28 causing the blade 40 to be lowered into scraping engagement with the ground surface G. Accordingly, the

front and rear ground wheels with a forwardly arched front body portion having its forward end supported on an axle carrying the front wheels,

a. a blade support extending longitudinally under said body portion with its forward end joumaled on said axle,

b. a control handle pivoted near its lower end on a transverse horizontal axis to said body portion,

c. a rigid link connecting the blade support to the handle forward of said axis whereby as the upper end of the handle is moved forwardly about said axis the blade support will be lowered,

d. spring means acting between the said body portion and handle to yieldably retain the handle in a rearward position, and

e. a grader blade mounted on the blade support in depending relation thereto and extending transver- 3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the grader blade is centrally pivoted on a vertical axis to the blade support and a blade control member connected to the blade and extending upwardly through said body portion for turning the blade about said pivot between various selective positions.

4. The subject matter of claim 3 including means coacting between the blade control member and blade support for locking the blade control member and blade at any selected position.

5. In a toy road grader,

a. a grader body mounted on front and rear ground wheels for movement over a ground surface,

a grader blade extending crosswise under the body between said front and rear ground wheels and mounted on the body for movement between a raised position above the ground surface and a v lowered position extending below said surface,

c. said mounting including spring means for normally retaining the blade in raised position and a manual control for lowering the blade to its lowered position againstsaid spring means, said mounting also rncludrng a prvotal connectron for moving the blade to any one of a pluralityof selective angular positions about a vertical axis and means for locking the blade in any selected one of said angular positions.

* Q! II! 

1. In a toy road grader having a body supported on front and rear ground wheels with a forwardly arched front body portion having its forward end supported on an axle carrying the front wheels, a. a blade support extending longitudinally under said body portion with its forward end journaled on said axle, b. a control handle pivoted near its lower end on a transverse horizontal axis to said body portion, c. a rigid link connecting the blade support to the handle forward of said axis whereby as the upper end of the handle is moved forwardly about said axis the blade support will be lowered, d. spring means acting between the said body portion and handle to yieldably retain the handle in a rearward position, and e. a grader blade mounted on the blade support in depending relation thereto and extending transversely of said body portion normally in elevated position above the ground but adapted to move into engagement with the ground as the blade support is lowered.
 2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said control handle is transversely centered over the blade support and is provided with a cross member at its upper end for manual gripping.
 3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the grader blade is centrally pivoted on a vertical axis to the blade support and a blade control member connected to the blade and extending upwardly through said body portion for turning the blade about said pivot between various selective positions.
 4. The subject matter of claim 3 including means coacting between the blade control member and blade support for locking the blade control member and blade at any selected position.
 5. In a toy road grader, a. a grader body mounted on front and rear ground wheels for movement over a ground surface, b. a grader blade extending crosswise under the body between said front and rear ground wheels and mounted on the body for movement between a raised position above the ground surface and a lowered position extending below said surface, c. said mounting including spring means for normally retaining the blade in raised position and a manual control for lowering the blade to its lowered position against said spring means, d. said mounting also including a pivotal connection for moving the blade to any one of a plurality of selective angular positions about a vertical axis and means for locking the blade in any selected one of said angular positions. 